Catalytic oxidation of nitrosyl chloride and nitric oxide



Patented May 23, 19 39 I I I UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE I CATALYTIC OXIDATION OF NI'I'BOSYL CHLORIDE AND NITRIC OXIDE William C. Klingelhoefer, Jr., Syracuse, N. Y., al-

signor to The Solvay Process Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing. Application February 10, 1937,

. sel'lll N0. 125,139

21 cums. (01. 23-157) In the oxidation of nitrosyl chloride according at the relatively low temperatures employed, oxito the reaction dation of the nitric oxide with oxygen removes I one of the products of decomposition of the (1) I 2NOCl+O2+2Nch+Ch nitrosyl chloride, thereby reducing the eiiect of 5 it has been recognized the r ac o may he the adverse equilibrium conditions for reaction 5 cte in We s s c o ding to the equations (2) at the low temperatures on the progress of (2) 2N001- 2N0 c1 that rmtiim- 4 (3) 2N0 2 The invention, therefore, will be seen to relate to catalysis of both reactions (2) and (3) by n Order for the mtmsyl 611101151? 190 be largely means of materials which I have discovered are 10 decomposed reaction (2) must be carried at active catalysts for both reactions. The invention a high temperature due to the cumulative effect includes moreover, not only t simultaneous of adverse equilibrium conditions and low rate of catalysis of both reactions but also e catalysis reaction at low temperatures, the equilibrium of each of the reactions by the materials found 5 being adverse that below about active by me for these purposes and the catalysts per cent decomposition of nitrosyl chloride is negtherefor may b used to speed up either reaction ib A h h mp u n y a small D in a process where both reactions are not simultion of the nitric oxide reacts with oxygen to taneousiy carried t, r xam l s, nitrosyl form nitrogen peroxide, also due to adverse equichloride gas may b passed into contact with llbrium conditions. At temperatures above about et t i th absence f oxygen where it is 500 C., only a negligible percentage of the nitric desired t catalyze th decomposition of the Oxide P s would e Oxidizednitrosyl chloride without oxidation of the nitric When it is endeavored to carry out reaction (1) oxide, Similarly, a, gas containing nitric oxide (involving both reactions (2) and (3)) at lowd oxygen may b passed int contact with the te pe u the adverse equilibrium catalyst where it is desired to accelerate the re- 25 for reaction (2) and the low rate of reaction (3) action of nitric oxide and Queen to form nitmresult in a, relatively slow and incomplete oxidagen peroxide,

tion of the nitrosyl chloride. It has been proot obj cts and advantages will be apparent P therefore, t0 effect the Oxidation of" from the following description of the invention:

nitrosyl chloride in two stages, by first heating According t t present ve ti n, a, gas mix- 30 nitrosyl chloride to a high temperature to cause t ontaining nitrosyl chloride and O y e is e on t0 and e eoolihgthe passed into contact with an aluminum zeolite mareaction products and adding oxygen to cause t m for m t hyd t d calcium aluminum reaction (3) to occur at the lower temperature. stheete high proportion of the mtrosyl eh1o In such a process the heat evolved by reaction 3) ride i t b xidiz d, through decomposition of 35 s a a ow te pe and hence is not availthe nitrosyl chloride tonitric oxide and chlorine able as a source of heat for endothermic re&c and oxidation of the nitric oxide thereby Drotion (2) at the high temperature employed. This dueed t nitrogen roxid both or which reacnecessitates supplying high temperature heat re-' tt are catalyzed by these materials. The heat Furthermore, although reaction (3)- will eventuplies in t or i wh l th heat required for ally go practicably to completion at the low temt decomposition of th nitrosyl chloride. peratures employed in the second step, the rate As above indicated, t iti n of the of reaction is relatively low. t hloride is catalyzed by contact wi the It s a Object of this invention to Provide aluminum zeolite materials employed according 45 material which will simultaneously catalyze both t t ti Accordingly, the gas passed reactions (2) and (3) so that at the lower teminto Contact t the o t may be free of oxyperatures reaction (3) will take place rapidly at gen It has been found such catalysts actively substantially the same time as reaction (2) is promote the decomposition of the nitrosyl chlooccurring, whereby the heat evolved by reaction ride. As this reaction is endothermic,.heat from 50 (3) will be available for reaction (2), which is a, uitable source is supplied to support the reaclikewise speeded. up at'the lower temperatures tion, such as by a heater in the catalyst bed or by the catalyst. by preheating the-gases.

A further object of the invention, accomplished Nitrosyl chloride, either with or without 0!!- 5 by employing catalysts 0! this invention, is that, gen, preferably is cor tacted with the catalyst at quired by react e from B11 external sellleeevolved by the oxidation of the nitric oxide sup- 40 a temperature between about 200 C. and about 400 C., and is preferably dry. e. g. contains less than 5% water vapor as it is passed into contact with the catalyst.

As indicated above, the catalysts employed according to this invention actively catalyze the oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen peroxide. Therefore, in accordance with another aspect of my invention, a gas containing nitric oxide and oxygen is passed into contact with an aluminum zeolite materiaL' The gas is preferably contacted with the zeolite at a temperature of about 300 C. or lower and preferably contains not more than about 5% water vapor. When the gas containsa considerable proportion of water vapor, for example about 5%, it is contacted with the catalyst at a temperature preferably of about 200 C. to about 300 C.

Various aluminum zeolites, both natural and artificial, including chabazite, green sand, heulandite, stilbite, doucil, calcium doucil, sodium permutit" and vanadium permutit have been tried and found to catalyze both the decomposition of nitrosyl chloride and the oxidation of the nitric oxide. Of these zeolites, chabazite is the preferred catalyst due to its exceptionally high activity.

Crude chabazite mineral occurs naturally in Nova Scotia and New South Wales. the mineral -for use, the chabazite crystals are separated from the bulk of foreign material pres- Example 1.- -A dry gas containing 40% nitrosyl chloride, 40% chlorine and 20% oxygen by volume is passed into contact with chabazlte at atemperature of 250 C., atmospheric pressure and space velocity of about 200. (The space velocities given herein are based on the total volume of gas, at standard temperature and pressure, passed into contact with the catalyst, and is equal to the volume of this gas per unit apparent volume of catalyst per hour.)

Example 2.-A gas containing equi-molecular proportions of nitrosyl chloride and chlorine is passed in contact with chabazite at a temperature of 250 C., at atmospheric pressure and space velocity of about 200.

Example 3.A gas containing 10% nitric oxide and 90% air is passed in contact with chabazite at a temperature of 200 C., atmospheric pressure and a space velocity of 1000.

The above examples are given by way of example only and not as limiting the scope oi the invention defined by the claims hereunder.

The objects of the present invention are obtained by the processes described regardless of the pressure and space velocity at which the processes are performed. Thus although the rates of decomposition and oxidation are greater at high pressure than at low pressure, both reactions are catalyzed by the described materials so that when they are used lower pressures and/or high- V er space velocities. may be employed.

The present application is in part a continuation of'the oopending. application Serial No.

897,241. flied November 9, 1933, by

To prepare about 300 c.

I claim:

1. In aprocess for the decomposition of nitrosyl chloride to nitric oxide and chlorine, the improvement which comprises passing said nitrosyl chloride into contact with a catalyst comprising an aluminum zeolite.

2. In a process for the decomposition of nitrosyl chloride to nitric oxide and chlorine, the improvement which comprises passing said nitrosyl syl chloride to nitric oxide and chlorine the improvement which comprises passing said nitrosyl chloride into contact with a catalyst comprising chabazite at a temperature between about 200 C. and about 400 C. 4

5. In a process for the oxidation of nitrosyl chloride to nitrogen peroxide and chlorine the im-' provement which comprises passing said nitrosyl chloride with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising'an aluminum zeolite.

6. In a process for the oxidation of nitrosyl chloride to nitrogen peroxide and chlorine the improvement which comprises passing said nitrosyl chloride with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising an aluminum zeolite at a temperature between about 200 C. and about 400 C.

'1. In a process forthe oxidation of nitrosyl chloride to nitrogen peroxide and chlorine the improvement which comprises passing said nitrosyl chloride with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising a calcium-aluminum silicate at a temperature between about 200 C. and about 8. In a process for the oxidation of nitrosyl chloride to nitrogen peroxide and chlorine the improvement which comprises passing said nitrosyl chloride with oxygen into contact with chabazlte.

9. In a process for the oxidation of nitrosyl chloride to nitrogen peroxide and chlorine the improvement which comprises passing said nitrosyl chloride with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising chabazite at a temperature beoxide to nitrogen peroxide the improvement which comprises passing said nitric oxide with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising an aluminum zeolite.

.12. In a process for the oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen peroxide the improvement which comprises passlng'said nitric oxide with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising an aluminum zeolite at a temperature below 13. In a process for the oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen peroxide the improvement which comprises passing said nitric oxide with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising chabazite.

'14. In a process for the oxidation of nitric oxide tonitrogen peroxide the improvement which comprises passing nitric oxide with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising chabaz ite at a temperature below about 300 C.

15. In a process for the treatment of a gas containing nitric oxide to oxidize the nitric oxide to form nitrogen peroxide the improvement which comprises passing a mixture containing said gas and oxygen and containing not more than about 5% water vapor into contact with a catalyst comprising an aluminum zeolite at a temperature between about 200 C. and about 300 C. a

16. In a process for the decomposition of nitrosyl chloride to nitric oxide and chlorine, the improvement which comprises passing said nitrosyl chloride into contact with a catalyst comprising a calcium-aluminum silicate.

1'7. Ina process for the oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen peroxide, the improvement which comprises passing said nitric oxide with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising a calcium-aluminum silicate.

18. In a process for the oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen peroxide, the improvement which comprises passing said nitric oxide with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising an aluminum zeolite at a temperature of about 200 C.

19. In a process for the decomposition of nitrosyl chloride to nitric oxide and chlorine, the improvement which comprises passing said nitrosyl chloride into contact with a catalyst comprising an aluminum zeolite at a temperature above 100 C.

20. In a process for the oxidation of nitrosyl chloride to nitrogen peroxide and chlorine, the

improvement which comprises passing said nitrosyl chloride with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising an aluminum zeolite at a temperature between about 100 C. and about 500 C.

21. In a process for the oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen peroxide, the improvement which comprises passing said nitric oxide with oxygen into contact with a catalyst comprising an aluminum zeolite at a temperature between about 100 C. and about 500 C.

WILLIAM C. KLINGELHOEFER. JR. 

